Thousands Still Without Power in New York Due to Severe Storms – NBC New York

NEW YORK_ Severe storms wreaked havoc across the northern New York Tri-State area, leaving thousands without power.

More than 12,000 customers were still without power in New York, most of them in a single county, as of mid-morning Thursday after intense thunderstorms hit parts of the state the night before with torrential rain and high winds.

The vast majority (more than 11,500) of the state’s 12,276 reported outages as of 9 am affected Central Hudson customers in Ulster County. Blackouts have tapered off from a peak of 14,000 around midnight, but officials have warned it could take days to fully restore service, a severe blow amid a spell of hot and humid weather that doesn’t seem likely to end any time soon.

Governor Kathy Hochul shared resources Wednesday night on where those most affected should go, as well as safety tips.

Severe storms dumped hail into Ulster County that quickly piled up, almost looking like mounds of snow. There were a number of downed trees in Dutchess and Ulster counties, and the city of Kingston appears to have borne the brunt of the severe weather.

In addition to the hail, the rain was reportedly so torrential at times that visibility was close to zero when the storms passed. Several streets were at least temporarily flooded after dealing with the deluge. Strong gusts of wind also buffeted the area, with gusts of up to 51 mph reported in Rhinebeck.

Hochul said his team was “in close contact with local leaders, including Mayor Noble of @KingstonNYgovabout the recovery efforts, and spoke with the Ulster executive @UlsterExec Ryan to offer whatever support they need.”

The possibility of severe weather was likely over by 11 p.m., but there were still a few isolated storm cells moving through that portion of the Upper Hudson Valley that could produce thunder and lightning.

Across all three states, the chance for rain and thunderstorms returns Thursday afternoon. Any storms that do come up will once again be isolated, meaning most areas are likely to see no rain, though again, storms that do form have the potential to bring downpours and gusty winds.

After pleasant, albeit warmer than average, weather for the rest of the week, the next chance of showers and storms for much of the region returns Sunday night into Monday, and could last into Tuesday.

Stay under our radar to monitor weather conditions in the tri-state area.

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